Constant resistance exercise device



May 12; 1 970 CONSTANT RESISTANCE EXERCISE DEVICE" 5 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed April 14, 1967 INVENTOR. MICHAEL U. DUNN ATTORNEYS coNiANTRESISTANCE EXERCISE DEVICE 5 'SheetS ShQet 2 "Fiied A5511 14', 19s

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. cons wir RESISTANCE-EXERCISE DEVICE Filed A ril, 1967 s sheets sheet 4INVENTOR. MICHAEL J. DUNN ATTORNEYS May 12, 1970 M. J. DUNN CONSTANTRESISTANCE EXERCISE DEVICE l liled Abril "14. 1967 5 She ets-Sheet 5 M"I" H r42 28 -27 -w 30.. km

I 50 l l INVENTOR.

MICHAEL J. DUNN Mihk.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,511,500 CONSTANT RESISTANCE EXERCISEDEVICE Michael J. Dunn, 1530 S. 74th East Ave., Tulsa, Okla. 74112 FiledApr. 14, 1967, Ser. No. 630,967 Int. Cl. A63b 21/00 U.S. Cl. 272-79 6Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An exercise device operable by handsor feet of the user. Force is applied by the user on pad members at theextremities of a beam which is mounted centrally on an oscillatableshaft. Linkage interconnects with the pad members to maintain themsubstantially horizontal in any position of the beam. Adjustable brakingmeans are positioned on the shaft to provide variable frictionalresistance to the oscillation of said shaft.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to exercising devices,and more particularly exercise devices of the type known as activedevices.

Exercise devices of various types have been known for some time. Onesuch exercising device is disclosed in British Pat. 735,319 and is of anactive type operated by a persons foot against the tension of a set ofsprings. Other exercise devices are shown in: US. Pat. 1,553,418relating to a see-saw structure having linkage elements therein forkeeping the seats level; US. 1,978,264 relating to a see-saw havingseat-leveling components and a braking device; and US. 2,777,439relating to an oscillative exercise device which incorporates disc typebraking components. None of these prior art devices provide the greatbeneficial effects to be gained from use of the device described herein.

Exercise devices are of two general types, active and passive. An activeexercise device is one in which the user of the device provides theforce to operate the device. A passive exercise device is one in whichthe force which operates the device is provided by the device itself andthe user simply provides passive acceptance of the motion of theexercising apparatus. With a passive exercise device the personemploying the apparatus presents a portion of his body to a movingcomponent of the apparatus, such as by grasping a moving lever. Theexercise device then moves the person's body portion in a prescribedmanner.

With an active exercise device the person operating the device suppliesthe force to move a component of the device in a prescribed mannereither with or without resistance from the device. A typical activeexercise device might be one in which the person grasps a handleattached to a coil spring and applies a pulling force to the springwhich is resisted by the tension of the spring.

The active exercise device of this invention provides for the exerciseand development of numerous muscles of the body through operation of thedevice by the limbs against adjustable tension or braking means withinthe device arranged so that the device can be operated either without aresistive tension or with tension means adjustable over a wide range ofbraking resistance. The tension means incorporated within the device ofthis invention can be adjusted to provide a constant resistive torquerather than an increasing torque such as is inherent in a spring loadedexercise device.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an exercise devicecapable of providing muscular development for various portions of thebody.

Another object of this invention is to provide an exercise device whichis simple in construction, easy to use and inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object of this invention is to provide an exercise device whichoccupies only a small space while it is being used.

Another object of this invention is to provide an exercise device whichmay be operated by a person from a variety of body positions.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exercise device ac cording to thisinvention, showing it in use.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of an exercise device according tothis invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along the lines 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of an exercise device according tothis invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an exercise device according to thisinvention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the braking components of anexercise device according to this invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view along the lines 77 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of a component of the braking deviceof this invention.

FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of a friction disc component of thebraking device of the invention.

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of an alternate embodiment.

An exercise device according to this invention comprises a support frameupon which a main shaft is bearably mounted. Upon the main shaft a beammember is secured, transversely of said shaft, and substantiallybalanced upon said main shaft so that the beam member may be movedoscillatively with respect to the support frame. The main shaft ismounted substantially horizonally on said support frame, and the beammember moves in a plane substantially normal to the support frame. A padmember is pivotally mounted near each end of the beam memberto receivethereon a part of the users body. Linkage means pivotally connect thepad members and beam member in order to keep the pad members essentiallyhorizontal during oscillative movement. Adjustable braking means aremounted concentrically with the main shaft and have one of the brakingcomponents secured to the support frame and another braking componentrotatable with the main shaft, and include means for providing aresistance to rotative movement of the main shaft relative to thesupport frame.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings indetail, FIG. 1 shows an exercise device according to this invention asit would be operated in one manner of use by a person treading upon theexercise device while pulling upon rope members to provide additionaldownward force. The exercise device, generally, 10 includes a basemember 12 upon which the other components of the invention arepositioned. FIGS. 2, 3 and 7 show more clearly the inner operationalstructures of the exercise device. In these figures is shown a shaftsupport structure 14 mounted on base 12. Shaft support member 14includes a horizontal portion 16 which is secured to base member 12 bymeans of bolts 18 passing through openings 20. Adjacent a first side ofhorizontal portion 16 is a front upstanding member 22, and adjacent asecond side of horizontal portion 16 is a rear upstanding member 24.Preferably for reduced cost of production shaft support 14 may be formedas an integral unit as by die casting. Shaft support 14 serves as ameans for supporting in substantially balanceable position a beamcomponent which is the basic operational part of the exercise device.Shaft support 14 bears a main shaft for supporting the balanceablerocking beam by the provision of an opening 26 and bearing 27 in frontmember 22 which is coaxial with an opening 28 and bearing 29 in rearmember 24. Mounted bearably in openings 26 and 28 is a main shaft 30which supports in substantially balanceable position a rocking beam 32by means of an opening 34 through which main shaft 30 is inserted. Neareach end of rocking beam 32 is an opening 36 and bearing 37 whichreceives bearably therethrough a shaft 38 to which is attached a bracket40 secured to a pressure pad 42. Bracket 40 includes a front extension44 which contains a passageway 46 therethrough which receives pivotallytherein a pin 48 which mounts linkage arm 50 pivotally to frontextension 44 of bracket 40. Linkage arm 50 has a central opening 52through which passes pivotally a shaft 54. Shaft 54 passes throughbearing 55 in opening 56 and bearing 57 in opening 58 in upstandingmembers 22 and 24. In this manner, as rocking beam 32 is movedoscillatively around main shaft 30, linkage arm 50 moves similarlyaround linkage arm shaft 54 so that the pivotal arrangement of brackets40 with relationship to beam 32 and arm 50 will insure that pressurepads 42 are kept in a substantially horizontal position during theoscillative movement. As shown in the figures, a spring support member60 is mounted on base member 12 and a coil spring 62 is attached theretowith the coil spring 62 having a rest member 64 secured to the end ofthe coil spring. Preferably, rest member 64 should include a resilientsurface. Then, when beam member 32 is oscillated to its lowest rotativeposition an undersurface of beam member 32 will bear against rest member64 to place coil spring 62 under tension so that a cushioning effect isachieved.

As the device as described thus far is placed into operation, it can beseen that the oscillative movement of beam 32 will take place with aminimum resistance to oscillation since the pivotal components arebearably mounted. Thus, to provide for operation of the device underresistive movement, adjustable braking means are included so that achosen resistance to oscillative movement of beam 32 can beaccomplished. The components of the braking means are shown incross-sectional detail in FIG. 6, and a comparison of FIG. 6 with theother figures will indicate how this adjustable tensioning isaccomplished. Main shaft 30 extends forward of the front member 22 inorder to receive thereon the components of the tension means. Adjacentmember 22 is a first flange 66 which has a bore 67 through which shaft30 extends. Flange 66 is secured to shaft 30 by means of pin 68 whichpasses through bore 70 in flange 66 and bore 72 in shaft 30. Thus,flange 66 is made to oscillate with shaft 30. Other means of securingflange 66 to shaft 30 may be employed as are known to men skilled in theart. A series of discs are arranged over shaft 30 between first flange66 and a second flange 74 which has a bore 76 therein through whichshaft 30 is positioned. Positioned between flange 66 and flange 74 are anumber of components which make up the preferred type of braking deviceemployed with the exercise apparatus. A first set of braking discs 78 ispositioned on shaft 30 by means of bore 80 which fits loosely over shaft30. Pins 82 pass through bores 84 of flange 66, bores 86 of discs 78,and bores 88 of flange 74 to hold discs 78 in position. Thus, this firstset of discs will oscillate with flanges 66 and 74, and consequentlywith shaft 30. Discs 92, which are identical in shape to discs 78,include a bore 96 which fits loosely over shaft 30. Discs 92 are held infixed position with regard to shaft support 14 by the positioning onbosses 89 of pins 90 which protrude through an opening 94 in each disc92. Thus, the second set of braking discs made up of a plurality ofdiscs 92 is held stationary while the first set of braking discs made upof a plurality of discs 78 rotates oscillatively with shaft 30. Betweeneach disc 78 and an adjacent disc 92 is a circular braking disc 98 asshown in FIG. 9 which has a bore 100 which fits loosely over shaft 30.Each disc 98 can rotate freely about shaft 30 between adjacent discs 78and 92 subject only to the biasing tension which is applied to thebraking component through adjustment of knob 102 on shaft 30. Bores and96 of discs 78 and 92, and bores of discs 98 are relatively large sothat the center of friction is as far as practical from the center ofrotation. In this manner the resisting torque is greater for a givenadjustment of knob 102. Discs 98 are preferably made of asbestosmaterial to provide efiicient braking operation, negligible heatgeneration, and a minimum of wear of the braking components. Knob 102has internal threads 104 which cooperate with threads 106 on shaft 30 sothat knob 102 can be threadably adjusted on shaft 30 to provideadjustable tension against spring 108. Thus, as knob 102 is tightenedagainst coil spring 108, the braking resistance is increased so that theforce required to oscillate shaft 30 becomes greater.

OPERATION Operation of the exercise device of this invention isaccomplished by alternate force applied to first one pressure pad 42 andthen to the second pressure pad 42 to move each pressure pad alternatelyfrom its highest position to its lowest position. The exercise devicemay be used with resistance, that is, knob 102 may be turned on shaft 30so that spring 108 is compressed against flange 74 to give an increasedresistance against oscillative movement of the shaft 30. As shown inFIG. 1, the apparatus may include rope-like attachments to enable theoperator to apply additional force against the pressure pads 42 so thathe may derive further muscular development therefrom. The rope-likeattachments include a handle grip 110 which has a bracket 112 aroundwhich one end of a rope member 114 can be knotted or attached by aconventional means, and a swivel snap member 116 attached to the otherend of the rope, which snap member can be positioned through an eyebolt118 secured to base member 12.

Treading can be performed either with or without braking resistance andeither with or without the rope members. In treading without the ropes,the movement is similar to a running motion with the same musclesinvolved as when one runs. In standing upon the device in the mannershown in FIG. 1 and exercising without braking resistance, the exerciseis basically an endurance exercise with a minimum of actual strengthdevelopment. In treading on the exercise device against a brakingresistance, the force is applied by extending the body at the hip andknee joints. The muscles primarily involved in this exercise are theknee extensors, hip extensors, and hip abductors.

By increasing the braking resistance further to a value at which theoscillative movement cannot be accomplished by the legs alone, thetreading can be accomplished by the additional force applied through theuse of the rope members. The ropes should be adjusted to a length whichpermits the performer to stand erect with his arms straight and with noslack in the ropes. In addition to the leg muscles previously mentionedabove, a number of arm and body muscles are also developed.

In addition to operating the exercise device through various movementsby pushing against pressure pads 42 with the feet, certain otherexercises may be performed by pushing against pressure pads 42 with thehands. One such type of exercise is a straight arm pushup in which theperson grasps a pressure pad 42 with each hand and pushes against eachpressure pad with the upper body keeping the arms straight and twistinghis body at his shoulders. A similar type of pushup is performed withthe arms bent; then the elbows are extended alternately while the upperback is stabilized with no twisting. In each of these exercises the samemuscles are used but in slightly different ways. Thus, the muscles usedare the shoulder horizontal flexors, elbow extensors, abdominals, hipflexors, knee extensors, and plantor flexors. The distinction betweenthe two types of pushups is that in a straight arm pushup the abdominalsand shoulder muscels are contracted concentrically while the elbowextensors are contracted statically. In the bent arm pushups the elbowextensors are used concentrically while the abdominals are usedstatically and the hip, knee and ankle muscles are in static contractionto maintain the straight body alignment against gravity.

Another type of pushu-p which may be performed is.

known as the reverse pushup. In this routine the operator sits on thefloor and places the exerciser behind him. He positions his hands on thefoot pads behind him and raises his body a few inches off the floor sothat his Weight is supported by his hands and heels. Pressure pads 42are pushed with the hands, letting the elbows bend, and the arms arestraightened alternately. The muscles used in this exercise are theelbow extensors, scapular abductors, shoulder abductors, spineextensors, and hip extensors. All these pushup exercises may beaccomplished either with or without a braking resistance.

In addition to the embodiments described above, it is expected thatvarious kinds of hand grips may be used in place of the foot pads sothat the exercise device may be fastened to a Wall or ceiling, or to aframe member in either front or overhead position so that the operatormay be in a standing position while using the device, either in front ofhim or overhead.

It is also contemplated that the adjustable resistance to movement ofthe rocking beam 32 can be provided by hydraulic piston and cylindermeans 130 mounted pivotally between the rocking beam and the base memberas schematically shown in FIG. 10. A master fluid cylinder 132 iscontemplated which will provide a source of fluid to the compressioncylinder of each piston device with resistance to movement of eachpiston provided by an adjustable valve 134 in the fluid lines.

Since many different embodiments of this invention may be made Withoutdeparting from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that thespecific embodiments described in detail herein are not to be taken in alimiting sense, since the scope of the invention is defined by theappended claims.

What is claimed:

1. An exercising device for one person comprising:

a support frame,

a main shaft member bearably mounted in said support frame,

a beam member secured on said shaft member substantially balanceable foroscillative movement relative to said support frame,

a pressure pad pivotally mounted on said beam member near each extremityof said beam member to receive either the hands or feet of said person,

linkage means pivotally connected between each of said pressure pads andsaid support frame to keep said pressure pads in horizontal positionrelative to a vertical plane passing through the axis of said shaftduring oscillative movement of said beam,

adjustable means positionable on said support frame to providesubstantially constant torque resistance to rotative movement of saidshaft relative to said support frame.

2. An exercising device as described in claim 1 wherein said adjustablemeans providing resistance to rotative movement of said shaft includes:

a plurality of first braking rings positionable on said main shaft androtatable with said main shaft,

a plurality of second braking rings positionable between said firstrings about said main shaft and connected together and fixed to saidsupport frame,

means between said first and second braking rings to provide frictiontherebetween including a friction ring mounted about said main shaft soas to freely rotate, and

adjustable biasing means mounted on said main shaft to bias said secondbraking rings toward said first braking rings.

3. An exercise device as described in claim 2 wherein said adjustablebiasing means includes a coil Spring mounted on said shaft adjacent saidsecond braking ring and an adjusting knob threadably engaging said shaftadjacent said spring to bias said spring against said second brakingring.

4. An exercising device as described in claim 3 whereinsaid supportframe includes a horizontal base upon which is positioned a coil springcushioning member against which an end of said beam member strikes inits lowest rotative position.

5. An exercising device as described in claim 4 which includes handgrippab e rope members attachable at one end to said support frame toform tension members from said persons hands to said base.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said adjustable means includes ahydraulic cylinder and piston interconnected between said support frameand said beam member on each side of said shaft,

a flow conduit and master fluid cylinder interconnecting with each ofsaid cylinders, and

an adjustable valve in said flow conduit.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 87,465 3/ 1869 Butler 272-81735,319 8/1903 Urwick. 2,253,996 8/1941 Bechman 272-57 2,398,122 4/ 1946Souza 27254 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,253,188 12/ 1960 France.

5,763 1902 Great Britain. 14,092 1904 Great Britain. 148,953 1922 GreatBritain.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner

